Belonging
by Kazlene la Suicine
Summary: After the war, Percy is guilt-ridden and can't seem to find his place with his family. He needs a friend, someone outside his family to give him some perspective and help him repair his relationship with George. When George gets a new employee, Arthur and Molly have an idea that may bring the two brothers together, and maybe Percy gains a little bit more. The rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: It has been awhile since I wrote anything related to Audrey and Percy; however, inspiration comes at awkward times. I hope you all enjoy. Please feel free to leave suggestions since I plan on making this one of my longer fanfictions.**

After the war, Percy came to The Burrow every Sunday for dinner. He loved listening to Bill and newly pregnant Fleur talk about the nursery and baby names. He couldn't wait to be an uncle and read to the little infant. George always came to dinner as well, but he was continually solemn. Every so often, he'd make a half-hearted jibe at the expense of his brothers. The once full smile seemed to be permanently erased, and Percy felt he had no way to ease George's pain. Ron and Harry, who had begun auror training, seemed more like brothers than Percy and any of his siblings; however, Percy had to admit he enjoyed watching Ron grow into the fine young man that he was.

However, Percy could not deny he felt some impenetrable separation from his family from the previous years. They were like a complete puzzle, and he was a like a random piece in the box. He loved them, but he was the one who left. Had he realized his mistakes, he wouldn't have missed holidays, Bill's wedding, his father injured and in Saint Mungo's. He certainly would not have been stuck in a horrid position at work while muggleborns, even if his friends were being rounded up like sheep and subjected to hearings and certain punishment. More importantly, he would have had more time with Fred before he died.

Percy never felt like he had the right to grieve over losing his brother. They never got along. Fred always seemed to undermine his brother in every way imaginable. Percy had always hoped that the twins would settle down and discover life isn't all fun and games. Unfortunately, George learned that in the worst way imaginable. Percy had no right to cry or mourn when George had lost his best friend and partner in crime. Percy vowed he would be strong for his family, and that's what he planned to do.

One night after their sons had parted from The Burrow, Molly and Arthur settled in their bed for the night. The couple slipped under the white cotton sheets and pulled a colorful quilt over their bodies. Molly's head rested on her husband's chest. She could hear his heart beat through his red flannel nightshirt. She sighed and asked, "What are we going to do with them? I can't bear to see them so miserable."

Arthur yawned and responded, "I don't know, Molly. The war and losing Fred has been hard on everyone especially George."

Molly looked up at her husband. Their house was no longer filled with laughter. No more inventions were strewn across the house. No magic could heal the wounded hearts of the household. Molly used to hope that things would return to normal when Percy came home; however, he hated himself. He wasn't the same headstrong man. It was like a dementor sucked out the remains of his soul.

Molly asked, "And what about Percy? He's miserable. What if he leaves again?"

Arthur looked down at his wife and took a deep breath. "Molly, he's not going to go anywhere. He's just hurting. We all are."

"But what if he's never happy?" Molly murmured. She remembered how excited and proud Percy was when he was anointed Prefect then Headboy. Now he was just struggling to fit in with his family.

"He will," Arthur promised as he held his wife a bit tighter. He swished his wand and the lights in the room died. As he turned onto his side, he prayed he could find a way to absolve some of Molly's worry and help his sons.


	2. Chapter 2

George Weasley looked around his shop, his empire. Young children ran through the store and picked up skeeving snack boxes. They begged their parents for them. "So you can torture your brother again?" a parent asked, a man in his early thirties, "Not a chance." It was those moments that George lived for. He watched couples enter and slowly browse through the store. They would stop near the love potions and joke about how unnecessary it was. Clearly, people in love had never had a dry spell before. Fred would be so proud that their store was successful even after the war. Even with the help of Verity, he was working more than sixty hours a week. He needed to hire some help so he could have a bit more time to himself.

The doorbell to the store rang. A short young woman with short auburn hair stepped in. She smoothed down her pleated blue skirt. She looked around with her big brown eyes. Instantly, George noticed something familiar in her gaze as if she was lost or lost something. She tugged at her yellow sweater as an oversized man pushed past her.

"Hey," George shouted at her. "Welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

The girl whirled around nervously before running a small hand with chewed fingernails through her hair. "A job," she responded softly, "do you have those in stock perchance?"

George chuckled, "You might want some more conviction in those jokes. Follow me." He cocked his head to the side and the duo ventured upstairs. The girl's short thick legs barely managed to keep up with him. He held open the wooden door to his office. On the walls, there were various pictures of his business, laughing photos of him and his twin brother, and posters for the Chudley Cannons. The girl looked around in awe before sitting down in a red cushioned chair in front of his desk.

"So first things, first, what's your name?" George asked as he sat down in his big arm chair. He crossed his arms against his chest as he stared at the young woman.

"I'm Audrey Williams," she answered as she delicately placed her hands in her lap.

"Okay Audrey," George said as if trying to remember her at Hogwarts. He leaned back in his chair and inquired, "So tell me, why do you want this job?"

"Well," Audrey replied, "I really admire that this place managed to keep people laughing even during the darkest of times. I remember you and your brother well from Hogwarts, and you were always keeping people on their toes. This means if I worked for you, I'd never be bored."

"Really? What house were you in?" George asked.

"Hufflepuff," she answered proudly.

"Alright," George answered with a nod of his head, " so do you have any previous experience in sales or retail?"

Audrey answered, "Yes, I used to work at Honeyduke's prior to this." She remembered the smell of sugar. She had considered going back after the war; however, her life couldn't ever go back to normal. Why should her job be any different?

"Why did you leave?" George asked curiously.

"My brother and I are muggleborn," Audrey responded with a deep calm breath. "We had to go into hiding. After the war, I just felt like nothing was ever going to be normal again. I decided I needed a change of pace." She glanced up at the white ceiling and closed her eyes. She had longed for her brother's blue eyes, toothy grin, and pension for causing mischief.

"I definitely understand that," George responded. There was something almost instinctive that told him that he needed to hire her. It was evident Audrey was trying to rebuild her life, and he could certainly relate to that. "Okay, Audrey, you're hired. I'll have you starting next week."

"Really?" Audrey gasped with a huge grin, "Thank you so much." She gave him a brisk hug before awkwardly pulling away. He escorted her out of the room and down the stairs. He was certain he made the call.

 **To anyone reading this, I apologize this chapter was so brief; however, thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave comments on any ideas or things you'd like to see happen. Thank you again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for waiting patiently. Between work and school, I haven't found the time to update. Furthermore, I was unsure how to proceed with chapter 3. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it.**

Audrey leaned against the counter as she stared at the clock. Every tick of the clock seemed to be minutes apart. She sighed as she looked around the empty store. Only the occasional couple had walked through the door and remarked, "I can't believe we have never been here before." They would buy a few things then leave for the ice cream emporium nearby. She had barely seen her boss who was buried in paperwork in his office upstairs, and Verity had requested off.

The door to the shop opened and the bell rang captivating Audrey's attention in a split second. "Welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," she recited enthusiastically. She noticed the two men approaching her. One was a middle aged gentleman with balding red hair, freckles, and blue eyes who looked like one of the people in the photograph of George Weasley's office. The other was tall and lanky with an austere expression with the same red hair, freckles, and blue eyes. She immediately recognized Percy Weasley from her years at Hogwarts. She was certain he had issued out all of her detentions. Perhaps she had never truly noticed him, but he seemed attractive in a nerdy, nervous way. She couldn't pinpoint why, but he seemed like a source of safety and stability.

"Ah yes," Arthur Weasley said with a grin, "Do you happen to know where my son is?"

"Yes sir, he is just in his office" she responded politely and pointed up to the wooden staircase. Arthur quickly thanked her before trotting upstairs leaving Percy alone with the new shop keeper.

Percy stared at the young woman. She had been a troublemaker in Hogwarts, and he never understood why Penelope Clearwater had been friends with her. Of course, the last time he saw her, she and her boyfriend at the time had snuck into the Prefect's bathroom. She was comfortably sitting in the man's lap as the two giggled. Their naked bodies covered in bubbles. Only after expressing his disgust after running out of the room to Penelope, she somehow managed to talk out of getting them suspended or detentions every day for the rest of the semester; however, Audrey had managed to gain detentions for other less serious infractions.

The two stared at one another in a tense awkward silence. Audrey nervously strummed her fingers across the glass countertop. "So you probably don't remember me," Percy said as he shoved his fists into his the pockets of his cloak.

"No, no, I do," she responded as her teeth grazed her bottom lip, "How could anyone forget you, Percy Weasley?" She placed an emphasis on his name, and Percy could not determine whether she was flirting with him or being sarcastic. He noticed a glimmer in her soft brown eyes as she straightened her posture. He felt his heart skip a beat as if someone had run a small electrical current through him.

"Oh, well I'm glad," he responded pausing after each word as if he was unsure what to say. He glanced upstairs with a silent prayer that he would hear his father's footsteps, and they would be on their merry way. In attempts to save himself from being a complete dunce, he inquired, "So do you enjoy working here?"

Audrey wrinkled her button nose and cocked her head to the side like a confused dog. "Yeah," she responded nonchalantly, "Your brother is a good boss, and I enjoy the atmosphere around here." Even on slow days, the shop reminded her of her childhood. The bright colors, the sound of children laughing, the bubbles from the love potion, even George reminded her of days running around the house and the garden with her brother. The amount of time, they had spent pranking their cousins and being punished for it, were innumerable. The shop was the closest she felt to her youth now.

"That's good," he murmured as Audrey wiped her eyes with the side of her wrist. She bent her head down, and the two shared another moment of silence together. After five minutes, the loud thudding coming from the stares and George's voice penetrated the air. Audrey and Percy simultaneously released a sigh of relief.

George slapped his older brother on the back and jokingly asked, "You aren't harassing my employee, are you?" Audrey stifled a giggle and smirked. She leaned back with her arms across her chest.

"Not at all," Percy responded.

"Better not, I guess I kind of like having her around. I'd hate for you to ruin it," George replied teasingly before giving his father a hug goodbye.

* * *

The Weasleys were seated around the table for their Sunday dinner. Ron shoved a warm roll into his mouth as his mother discussed a recipe she found in _Witch's Weekly_ that she was excited to try one night for dinner. Harry piped up, "That sounds delicious, Mrs. Weasley." Ron, cheeks full with bread, nodded in agreement.

"Oh Molly, have you had a chance to meet George's new shop assistant?" Arthur asked before taking a swig of pumpkin juice. Percy, who had been separating the food on his plate with a fork, looked up.

"No, I have not," Molly responded.

"I just needed the help around there," George answered. He looked at his younger brother, "Ron, I need some extra hands with the books around there. Do you think you want to come next Saturday and help out? I would pay you."

"Sorry, I have Auror training," Ron responded as Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"Why don't you ask Percy?" Arthur suggested, "He's skilled with administrative work. He could do it."

George groaned loudly. He could almost how Fred would respond. If both of them were together, they would vehemently deny Percy any and all access to their shop; however, Fred was the first one to forgive Percy, and that fact hit him like a ton of bricks. George had to admit he needed whatever help he could get, and he didn't exactly have many options. "Percy, do you want to help me with the accounting and inventory books?" George asked.

"Actually, I would," Percy responded. "I promise I won't be in your way or change anything."

"Alright," George said, "Well, be ready to work on Saturday."


	4. Chapter 4

Percy stared at the red wooden trim with six glass windows to his brother's shop. He took a deep calming breath as his grip tightened around the brown leather strap of his messenger bag before pushing the door open. Audrey and Verity, both smiling and chatting happily to the customers, were hard at work; however, Audrey looked up and seemed to smile at him before diverting her attention back to the adolescent male purchasing a sneakoscope. A young boy with blonde hair pushed past Percy to get inside as his mother called from the street, "Jake, wait for your father and I!"

Percy headed upstairs and walked into George's office. He noted the pictures of the family hanging around the walls of the office. Pictures of Fred and George laughing and working seemed to ignore his presence. He noted the only picture with him in it was the picture from Egypt on the desk. Percy gulped and placed his hands around his neck as the felt his lungs tighten in his chest. Rolls of parchment were pulled out of a large colorful cabinet. A red velvet cushioned chair was empty. Percy placed his canvas messenger bag on the floor before rolling up the sleeves of his white button down shirt.

George looked up from his desk and ran a hand through the back of his red hair. "Welcome to the most exciting part of the job," he announced sarcastically.

"You know I live for this," Percy responded seriously.

"Of course you do," George mumbled. "Anyway, each different parchment has the inventory for the past twelve months. Add them together. Each item has its own department such as explosives enterprises, muggle magic. Then you'll put it in the correct book. At the end, we will add everything up and compare from last year how our…my shop is doing and where we need to improve."

"Sounds simple enough," Percy responded as he took a seat at the desk. He felt as if there were simpler, more efficient ways to keep track of product; however, Percy declined to comment. This was one of the few opportunities to bond and make amends with his brother. He refused to compromise this chance by criticizing George's process. He planned to do as he was asked, and hopefully George would trust him enough then he could provide his input.

Most of their day was spent in silence except for the sound of quills scratching against parchment, and the spare question from Percy about which category and item belonged in. Occasionally, he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, a small knock, and Audrey or Verity would ask George for some assistance downstairs.

When the clock chimed at six pm, George looked up and announced, "I am going to see if the girls need any help closing the store." He abandoned his position at the desk and went downstairs to find the doors locked. Audrey used a housekeeping spell to straighten the products on the shelf. The counters were clean, and Verity was sleeping the floors. From what George could tell, his two shop assistants had everything under control, but he dreaded the idea of going back upstairs and finishing paperwork.

"Do you need any help, ladies?" he asked.

Verity and Audrey glanced at one another. Verity answered in a clear, calm voice, "We are almost done."

"Good job, you two can go home after you finish," George said before heading back upstairs. He sat back in his chair as Percy's quill quickly scribbled away in small pristine letters. About twenty minutes later as he noted some figures into one of the books, Audrey poked her head in the office.

George asked as he rubbed his eyes, "Audrey, what are you doing here?"

"Neither of you have eaten anything," she commented, "I wanted to make sure neither of you would die from starvation up here."

"Awww, you're sweet," George responded jokingly.

Audrey nodded and placed her hands on his hips as she leaned against the desk. She looked at the paperwork and commented, "You know all of this will be back when you come home from work." George closed the book he was working on as Percy adjusted his glasses on the bridge of the nose. Both the brothers laid down the quill.

"Fine, you win," George replied.

All three of them stared at one another. They apparated outside the building. George thanked his older brother for his help and said his goodbyes before apparating again to his flat; thus, leaving Audrey and Percy alone in Diagon Alley. "So," she started as she shuffled her foot against the ground, "I was wondering if you'd like to get dinner tonight.

"I don't think that's the best idea," Percy responded cautiously.

"Why not?" Audrey asked as she stepped closer to him. The sun was beginning to set, and the way the light hit Audrey's brown eyes made them seem as if they were made of gold. He could smell the flowery scent of her perfume, and Percy's felt his resolve begin to weaken.

"I don't think your boss would be too keen on me getting dinner with one of his employees," he responded slowly.

Audrey giggled and responded, "First of all, I am not his George's property. I am allowed to make my own decisions. I'm not asking you on a date, but I am hungry. Are you hungry, Percy?"

Percy's stomach growled and he surrendered. The two walked over to the Leaky Cauldron. Every so often, Audrey had to jog to keep up with Percy's long legs. He held open the door for her and chose to sit in a small booth in the back corner. The waitress approached them and pointed to the specials on the black chalkboard above the bar and inquired what the pair would like to drink. Percy asked for water, and Audrey ordered a tea with some honey.

"It was really nice of you to help your brother on your day off," Audrey commented with a polite smile as she folded her hands in her lap. She seemed proper that Percy almost forgot all about her minor indiscretions in her youth.

"Thank you," Percy responded as the waitress returned with the beverages. Percy's water was in a tall red translucent glass. The waitress placed the white porcelain mug in front of Audrey before quickly jotting down their food order. Audrey placed the mug to her lips as Percy thanked the waitress quietly.

Once the waitress left, Audrey asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, but George doesn't seem to like you much. Why is that?"

"I'd rather not discuss it," he responded with a grimace. He scanned the room for some distraction and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel Audrey's stare burden him. Her brown eyes seemed heavy as if Gravity had increased.

"I don't mean to pry. It's just obvious judging from George's facial expressions," Audrey replied with a chuckle. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. A brilliant idea popped into her head. She knew how hard life was without her brother and wanted to prevent the spreading feeling of isolation. She wasn't even sure if Percy was close to any of his family or had friends. She figured, if he was doing accounting work pro bono, he must not have much of a social life.

"You're right," he admitted. "He doesn't care for me much."

"Don't worry. I will help you fix it," Audrey responded resolutely, and Percy had no doubts that she would be successful.


End file.
